Turkish PM Davutoğlu’s team to name election candidate lists

Turan YILMAZ ANKARA

AKP Deputy Head Beşir Atalay could take a leading part in the board, according to sources. AA Photo

A supreme board of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), chaired by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, is set to put the finishing touches to the AKP’s candidate lists for the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7.

The board, which will start its work on March 23, will also include party members who are known as being close to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

AKP Deputy Head Beşir Atalay could take a leading part in the board, according to sources.

Prime Minister Davutoğlu also wants to benefit from some AKP members in the board who will not be able to run for election due to the party’s internal three-term rule. Dozens of ruling party lawmakers, including a number of former ministers, are barred from running for parliament in the upcoming election due to the three-term limit.

Some 6,223 possible AKP candidates for nomination were put forward in the first leg, excluding former and current lawmakers, central executive board members, founders, mayors and organization executives. The second elimination process, which will be conducted through interviews, started last week.

Twelve committees will conduct interviews with the candidates for nomination up to March 15, from which they will write reports to be presented to sub-committees. Polls about the candidates in their districts and intelligence reports will also be evaluated when deciding the nominees. AKP members say particular attention is being paid to eliminating possible candidates affiliated with the Gülen movement.